James P Naughton
Military ROLL OF HONOUR
Tail Gunner
William Waldron Crew
487th BG - 836th BS
KIA - 24 December 2016
Object Number - UPL 22969 - SSGT James P. Naughton Tail Gunner William Waldron Crew 487th BG - 836th BS KIA - 24 December 2016
Killed in Action (KIA) when B-17G #43-38926 'Weary Willy' piloted by Lieutenant William J. Waldron was attacked by fighters
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 487th Bomb Group 836th Bomb Squadron 838th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-2058133
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot, Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 487th Bomb Group 836th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: 487th Bomb Group 836th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 24 December 1944
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Lavenham/Alpheton Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Cascade County, MT, USA | 4 February 1924 | |
|
Enlisted |
Pendleton, OR 97801, USA | 13 December 1942 | |
|
Died |
Rouvreux, 4140 Sprimont, Belgium | 24 December 1944 | After training, he was assigned as tail gunner on the heavy bomber crew of Lt William J. Waldron. The Waldron crew completed B-17 combat crew training at Ardmore, Oklahoma, and was assigned to the 836th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group (Heavy) at Army Air Forces Station 137, near the village of Lavenham, Suffolk, England. The crew arrived at Station 137 by October 19, 1944, and became part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe. There is a photo of S/Sgt Naughton with the Waldron Crew at Lavenham posted on the 487th Bomb Group website. S/Sgt Naughton and five of his crew mates were killed in action on December 24, 1944, when their aircraft, B-17G 43-38926, was shot down by German fighters south of Liege, Belgium. Three men were blown clear and survived when the aircraft exploded in the air. The B-17 crashed near Rouvreux, Belgium, about 15 miles south of Liege. Here is the roster of the Waldron crew on December 24, 1944: |
|
Buried |
Great Falls, MT, USA | Mount Olivet Cemetery Great Falls Cascade County Montana, USA Plot: Military Section, Plot 33 |
Revisions
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources
Combat Chronology Supplement p. 535, The History of the 487th BG Roll of Honor pp. 302-5 and account pp 197-8 MACR 11675 / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / http://www.487thbg.org/Photos/WaldronCrew.shtml
